Cole Kussman emerges as London Junior Mustangs' weapon

The only thing more bitter than playing in a 49-7 loss to a top rival is standing on the sideline watching helplessly.

Cole Kussmann didn’t get on the field in that defeat to the Essex Ravens last month, the low point in a four-game losing skid for the London Junior Mustangs.

But he responded by becoming one of the Ontario Varsity Football League’s most productive running backs and will be a key weapon as the Stangs (4-4) embark on a season-saver in Cambridge against the Lions (6-2) Saturday night in a playoff opener.

“Sitting on the bench, it really sucked, so there was a little bit of determination to get back on the field,” the 17-year-old Mother Teresa tailback and linebacker said. “We’ve got a great group of running backs and it’s always been a challenge to get that starting position. After sitting, it sparked some fire and got us pumped up.”

At the time, head coach Jordan Haylor said the team was sorting out with who was going to carry the offensive load. After the Essex debacle, Danny Mundt moved to fullback and Kussmann jumped in, providing 115 carries for 828 yards and four touchdowns.

In the Stangs’ biggest game to date, he ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns in a stunning come-from-behind 50-48 win over Cambridge three weeks ago.

“Early this year, I felt like we had a really good thing going,” Kussmann said, “but after the second game, guys started to quit. That took a big toll on the team. We slowed down, took a couple of losses and knew coming up against Cambridge, we had to win.

“It was a wake-up call to all of us, that we don’t have all our guys but we have to do the best with the guys we’ve got. As soon as we got that Cambridge win, guys started making more regular appearances at practice. We handled Hamilton (50-7 last week) and we’re all fired up to keep the season going.”

There’s little secret how to do that. The Lions have quarterback James Roberts, whom Haylor calls “maybe the best in the OVFL right now.” The Junior Mustangs have surrendered more points (218) than any other playoff-bound team. London has to keep Roberts off the field.

“We want to get Cole a lot of touches,” Haylor said. “Especially with Cambridge’s offence, we know they’re going to score. If we can run effectively, that helps. If we’re forced to throw a ton, that’s not the game we want to play. The running has been the one constant for us. Once we got the passing game (under Luke Petropoulakis) going a little bit, that made a world of difference for us.”

The London offence struggled to score in the red zone early this season. In their last two games, they have put up 50.

Kussmann is looking for the healthy balance.

“If we let ourselves get off to another start like we did against them last time (down 24-0 going into the half), there’s no way we’re winning the game,” he said. “If we get into a good groove like we know how to do, I think we’ll have a very good chance.”

Early on, the offence would lose focus in the midst of a promising drive. It would all unravel with a high snap or fumble.

“Now we get there and take a deep breath and execute,” Kussmann said. “We’re not happy just making the playoffs. Personally, I’ve never made it past the first round (at any level of football) so I really want to crush Cambridge.”

He could be the difference-maker. A half-season ago, that didn’t look to be the case.

“There have been guys like myself that have never missed a practice and are still kicking around,” he said, “so to see those big numbers (in the stats column) after all my hard work is definitely rewarding.”